Drier



March 9, 1954 c. E. BLANCHARD DRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 8, 1949 I N V EN TOR.

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March 1954 c. E. BLANCHARD I 71,

DRIER Filed Nov. 8, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Char/e6 E- BY W :7. M

gyyaflne v Patented Mar. 9, 1954 DRIER Charles E. Blanchard, Randolph, Mass., assignor to J. 0. Ross Engineering Corporation, New

York, N. Y.

Application November 8, 1949, Serial No. 126,087

4 Claims.

This invention relates to dryers for sheet or web materials, and relates more particularly to dryers for textile fabrics although it is capable of drying other materials.

In the drying of textile fabrics suchas rayon crepes, it is desirable that the fabrics be allowed to shrink freely in both length and width. The prior dryers have provided a flow of drying air on only the side of the fabric opposite to that lying on the conveyor except when dropping from one pass to another. The fabrics in such dryers have not rested freely on the conveyors so that the shrinkage has not taken place uniformly. Due to drying on only one side at a time, the efficiency of drying of the prior dryers has been low as has the rate of drying.

This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior dryers by providing a continuous flow of drying air on both sides of the fabric. Spaced ducts below the fabric project drying air against itsunderside lifing it from the conveyor where it appears above the ducts. Other ducts above the fabric spaced between the lower ducts project drying air on the fabric forcing it back towards the conveyor where it appears under the upper ducts. The fabric thus is periodically lifted from the conveyor and caused to settle back on the conveyor as it moves thereon through the dryer.

The drying air projected upwardly on the underside of the fabric is deflected by the fabric so as to flow along those portions of the upper surface which are acted upon by the upper ducts. Likewise the drying air projected downwardly on the upper side of the fabric is deflected by the fabric so as to flow along those portions of its lower surface which are opposite to those portions of its under surface which are acted upon by the-lower ducts. Thus a continuous flow of drying air is in contact with both sides of the fabric throughout the greater portion of the travel through the dryer.

Another feature of this invention is that the fabric is carried by separate conveyors from one drying level to a lower one instead of being dropped from an upper drying level to a lower drying level as in the prior dryers.

An object of the invention is to provide, while drying moist web or sheet material, for free shrinkage of the material in both width and length.

Another object of the invention is to support moist sheet or web material upon a conveyor in a dryer so that it is periodically floated above the conveyor.

'Ano'ther...obiect'oi' the invention is to avoid marking or creasing of moist sheet or wet material being dried in a dryer.

Other objects of the invention are to increase the efficiency and the production rate of dryers for moist web or sheet material.

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, in section, of dryer embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, in section, of the dryer, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of one of the fabric supporting, flight bars of the conveyor of Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawing there are illustrated the three superimposed conveyors l, t and 9, the conveyor 9 being the lowest, the conveyor 8 being the intermediate conveyor and and theccnveyor 1 being the uppermost.

Each conveyor includes the flight bars I0 having the rollers I! supported on their ends, and

are interconnected by the links l2. The rollers mesh with the sprockets [3 which are rotated by a conventional power source which is not illustrated since forming no part of this invention. The conveyors are supported by the horizontal supports M on which the rollers ll roll, and which, in turn, are supported by the vertical channels [5.

The upper pass of the upper conveyor 1 moves from left to right with respect to Fig. 1 of the drawing, and the moist fahricffl to be dried is over fed onto it adjacent its left hand end so that it moves from left to right.

The upper pass of the intermediate conveyor 8 moves from right to left, and the fabric is over fed from the right hand end of the conveyor 7 onto the conveyor 8 adjacent its right hand end so that the fabric in its second pass moves from right to left.

The upper pass of the lower conveyor 9 moves from left to right, and the fabric is over fed onto its left hand end from the left hand end of the conveyor 8 so that the fabric in its third pass moves from left to right, and passes from the right hand end of the lower conveyor 9 to storage.

The ducts 2! are spaced equal distance apart above the upper pass of the upper conveyor 1, and have perforated, horizontal, lower walls through which drying air is projected onto the upper surface of fabric 29 in its first pass through the dryer.

The ducts 22 are spaced equal distances apart below the upper pass of the conveyor '5 and above the upper pass of the conveyor 8, and have perforated, horizontal, upper and lower walls through which drying air is projected simultaneously against the lower surface of the fabric in its first pass through the dryer, and against the upper surface of the fabric during its second pass through the dryer. The ducts 22 are offset with respect to the ducts 2|.

The ducts 23 are spaced equal distance apart.

below the upper pass of the intermediate conveyor 8 and above the upper pass of the lower conveyor 9, and have perforated, horizontal, upper and lower walls through which drying air is projected simultaneously against the lower surface of the fabric during its second pass through the conveyor, and against the upper surface of the fabric during its third pass through the dryer. The ducts 23 are offset with respect to the ducts 22 and are aligned with the ducts 2|.

Th ducts 24 are spaced equal distance apart below the upper pass of the lower conveyor 9 and have perforated, horizontal, upper Walls which project drying air against the lower surface of the fabric during its third pass through the dryer.

The spaces between the ducts 2| and 22, between the ducts 22 and 23, and between the ducts 23 and 24 are passages for returning the drying air for recirculation into the main return plenum chamber 30 at one side of the dryer. The air from this chamber is drawn through the heater 3| by the fan 32 driven by the electric motor 23, and is blown through the passage 34 into the main air supply, plenum chamber 35 at the other side of the dryer.

The ends of the ducts 2| 22, 23 and 24 facing the air supply chamber 35 ar open for the reception of the drying air. Their opposite ends, those facing the air return chamber 30, are closed for preventing the air in the ducts from directly entering the return plenum chamber.

In operation, as the fabric is carried through the dryer, the drying air projected against its lower surface during its first pass, from the ducts 22 causes the fabric to be lifted from the conveyor I as it passes directly over the ducts 22. Then as it passes under the ducts 2|, the drying air projected by them against the upper surface of the fabric, causes it to be returned onto the conveyor 1 when it is directly under the ducts 2|.

In the same way the fabric in its second pass through the dryer, has drying air from the ducts 23 projected against its under surface, which lift it from the conveyor 8 when the fabric is directly over the ducts 23. When the fabric passes directly under the ducts 22, the drying air projected from them onto its upper surface causes the fabric to be returned onto the conveyor 8.

In the same way the fabric in its third pass through the dryer, has drying air from the ducts 24 projected against its undersurface, which lift it from the convevor 9 when the fabric is directly over the ducts 24. When the fabric passes directly under the ducts 23. the drying air projected from them causes the fabric to be returned onto the conveyor 9.

As a result of the alternate up and down blasts of drying air against the fabric as it passes throu h the dryer, the fabric is caused to follow a sinuous path as illustrated by Fig. l of the drawing. This permits dryin a r to contact directly portions of the fabric which in prior dryers were blanketed by the conveyors from contact with the air.

The air projected from the ducts 2| and 22 against the fabric is deflected cross-wise and length-wise of the fabric by same, and is drawn by the fan 32, through the cross passages between the ducts 2|, and through the cross passages between the ducts 2| and alongside the outer ducts 2|, and between the ducts 2| and 22, into the return plenum chamber 30, it contacting both sides of the fabric during this travel.

Likewise the air projected from the ducts 22 and 23 against the fabric is deflected cross-wise and length-wise of the fabric by same, and is drawn by the fan 32 through the cross passages between the ducts 22, and through the cross passages between the ducts 22 and alongside the outer ducts 22, and between the ducts 22 and 23, into the return plenum chamber 30, it contacting both sides of the fabric during this travel.

Likewise the air projected from the ducts 23 and 24 against the fabric is deflected cross-wise and length-wise of the fabric by same, and is drawn by the fan 32 through the cross passages between the ducts 23 and through the cross passages between the ducts 23 and alongside the outer ducts 23, and between the ducts 23 and 24, into the return plenum chamber, it contacting both sides of the fabric during this travel.

The dryer would, of course, have the usual provisions for adding make-up air and for exhausting equal volumes of moist air, and which are not illustrated since forming no part of this invention.

Fig. 3 of the drawing illustrates a preferred form of flight bar which has the fabric sheet 40 wrapped around the flight bar, and which is tied at its sides by thecords 4|. This prevent marking of the fabric being dried, by the flight bars.

While one embodiment of the invention has been described for the purpose of illustration, it

should be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact apparatus and arrangement of apparatus illustrated as modifications thereof may be suggested by those skilled in the art, without departure from the essence of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A dryer for sheet or web material comprising a first endless conveyor having a plurality of flight bars supported in an upper and a lower pass, the flight bars in each pass having their axes in a common plane, means for rotating said conveyor in one direction, a second conveyor under said first conveyor, said second conveyor having flight bars supported under said lower pass with their axes in a common plane substantially parallel to the plane of the axes of the flight bars in said lower pass, means for rotating said second conveyor in a direction opposite to the direction of said first conveyor, a first plurality of spaced means above said upper pass for blowing drying air against the upper side of the material on the flight bars of the upper pass, a second plurality of spaced means between said upper and lower passes and staggered with respect to the means of said first plurality for blowing drying air against the underside of material on the flight bars of said upper pass at points between where th material is contacted by air from said first means, a third plurality of spaced means between said first and second passes for blowin drying air down against th material on the flight bars of said second conveyor, a fo rth plurality of spaced means under said flight bars of said second con eyor and staggered with respect to said means of said third plurality for blowing drying air against the underside of material on the flight bars of said second conveyor at points between where the material is contacted by air from said third means, said first and second means causing the material on the flight bars of said upper pass to follow a sinuous path when passing between said first and second means, said third and fourth means causing the material on said flight bars of said second conveyor to follow a sinuous path when passing between said third and fourth means, and means for supplying drying air to said first, second, third and fourth means.

2. A dryer as claimed in claim 1 in which the flight bars have parallel axes, and in which the second plurality of spaced means comprises a plurality of ducts having axes parallel said axes of said flight bars, each duct having a plurality of spaced. openings in its upper wall through which drying air is projected against the underside of said material, and in. which the third plurality of spaced means comprises openings in the lower walls of said ducts.

3. A dryer as claimed in claim 2 in which the first plurality of means comprises a plurality of spaced ducts having axes parallel said axes of said flight bars, each duct having a plurality of spaced openings in its lower wall through which drying air is projected against the upper side of material on the flight bars of the upper pass, and in which the fourth plurality of spaced means comprises a plurality of spaced ducts having axes parallel said axes, each duct of said last mentioned ducts having a plurality of spaced openings in its upper wall through which drying air is projected against the underside of material on the flight bars of the second conveyor.

4. A dryer for sheet or web material comprising a conveyor having a plurality of flight bars supported with their axes in a common plane, a first group of spaced means at the underside of said conveyor for blowing drying air against the underside of material supported on said flight cars, a second group of spaced means at the underside of said conveyor for blowing drying air against the underside of material supported on said flight bars, said second group being spaced longitudinally of said conveyor from said first group, a third group of spaced means at the upper side of said conveyor for blowing drying air against the upper side of material supported on said flight bars, said third group being located opposite the space between said first and second groups, the drying air from said first and second group lifting the material from said flight bars on opposite sides of said third group, and the drying air from said third group blowing the material down against the flight bars between said first and second groups, the combined action of said first, second and third groups causing the material to follow a sinuous path as it moves along said conveyor, and means for supplying drying air to said groups.

CHAR-LES E. BLANCHARD.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,090,964 Barber Mar. 24, 1914 2,133,330 Ofien Oct. 18, 1938 2,199,233 Williams Apr. 30, 1940 2,270,125 Hurxthal Jan. 13, 1942 2,422,105 Lehrer June 10, 1947 2,439,722 Dreisel Apr. 13, 1948 2,462,380 Gautreau Feb. 22, 1949 

